SHREVEPORT, La. — Shreveport-Bossier residents looking for a way to wrap up the Labor Day weekend can attend a free performance by the U.S. Air Force Band of the West on Monday at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.
The Shreveport concert is the first stop on a five-show tour across Louisiana and Texas.
Based in San Antonio, the Band of the West is composed of 61 professional Airmen musicians who serve as musical ambassadors for the U.S. Air Force. The ensemble performs for live, radio and television audiences and is dedicated to strengthening community relations, promoting esprit de corps and connecting with audiences through music.
“People come to our concerts expecting to hear music, but they leave talking about the Air Force,” said 2nd Lt. Drew Eary, conductor of the USAF Band of the West. “That’s what’s so wonderful about us being on tour, getting to connect with the American public.”
According to the Air Force, the group travels more than 125,000 miles each year and presents hundreds of free performances for military and civilian audiences throughout Texas and surrounding states.
The Band of the West includes several large and small ensembles that perform at a variety of venues and events.
The tour schedule includes:
Monday: Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport
Tuesday: Spring Hill High School Auditorium, Longview, Texas
Wednesday: Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center at Tyler Junior College, Tyler, Texas
Thursday: Magale Hall at Northwestern State University, Natchitoches
Sept. 11: Brown Auditorium at the University of Louisiana at Monroe
More information is available at airforcebands.com.